Mad Dog Rapid

This rapid is on a sharp right turn shortly below the road bridge. It has a large rock or hole in the middle, with cobbles stretching from the center rock to the left shore. Tailwaves then stretch a short distance downstream. At low water, the rock is passable in a narrow channel along the right shore. At flows above about 1200 cfs, a wider left line is also available. It's possible to road-scout Mad Dog from a couple of pull-outs, and possible to scout from river level by landing on a small beach around the corner upstream. The river scout doesn't have much of a trail; you're more likely to get injured by stepping on a cactus while scouting than by running the rapid blind. This rapid is named for Brian "Mad Dog" Maddox, a longtime Poudre Canyon resident, kayaker extraordinaire, and author of "River Guide to the Cache La Poudre River."